Mother Nature's Call
by Abeep
Summary: Sophomore year comes quickly for Will and friends. When trouble arises from student transfers, members of the small group of friends are faced with difficult choices.
1. The New Year

**Title: Mother Nature's Call**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the Sky High characters, and include some of my own in this work. All but the characters in the movie are mine.

**Feedback**: Guys, I really appreciate your feedback and reviews. I'm not sure about Warren being in the same grade as the others. He's a year older, so it makes sense to me that he'd be in grade higher. I took out the reference to him being a junior though, just in case.

**Synopsis**: Sophomore year comes quickly for Will and friends. When trouble arises from student transfers, members of the small group of friends are faced with difficult choices.

**Mother Nature's Call**

**Chapter One: The New Year**

Walking onto the bus, Will glanced at the staunch-faced bus driver who had taken Ron Wilson's place. Currently he was ignoring Layla's cheerful smile and the curious look of the Stronghold boy, so the two kept walking until they joined Ethan, Zach and Majenta in the back of the bus. The small group hadn't been able to hang out together much during the summer, so they greeted each other with bright smiles.

"Will! How's it going?" Zach asked, smiling as Will took his hand. Layla said hey to the others and sat down next to Will. The small group spent most of the trip catching up on the summer. Before long they found themselves stepping out of the bus onto Sky High's floating campus. The school looked beautiful, even more so this year since they were no longer freshmen. Spotting Warren walking up the steps, Layla turned to Will and smiled.

"I'm gonna go say hi to Warren," the flower child said while smiling at her boyfriend. Nodding his head, Will looked over until he saw the tall dark figure of his best friend. Not seeing him all summer had meant he and Layla had spent a calm one together, but he looked forward to the moody glances and the intimidating stares. Beneath it all was a good man, a true friend, and he would never forget it was him he was indebted too for revealing Layla's feelings for him. Will grabbed Layla's hand and the two moved off from the group to catch up with him. One day Will would thank him, but today he'd settle for just being able to say hello.

"Warren!" Layla yelled down the hall, smiling as the reluctant figure stopped and turned slowly. Seeing the hippie and her taller, broader looking boyfriend next to her brought a sincere and unexpected smile to Warren's face. Thinking on it, he stood as the two ran up to him.

"Hey Warren!" Will greeted, holding out his hand to take the strong one that Warren smoothly extended.

"You've grown Stronghold," Warren said, smiling. Nodding bashfully, Will smiled while Layla reached out to hug him.

"Warren, its great to see you!" Layla said as she pulled back, fully aware of how uncomfortable Warren was with public displays.

"You too Layla," Warren said softly while smiling. Somehow the hippie had wiggled her way into his heart. He had a great affection for her, and found himself wanting to protect her like a sister. Sighing, he looked at Will and thought he probably didn't have to worry about it, something he figured was probably for the best.

"Hey!" Ethan said, walking up to the group.

"Hey man!" Zach said as he and Majenta reached the others. Warren's lips quirked up sardonically, nodding his head. Despite the half smile on his face, Layla knew he was happy to see the others and wondered if he had realized yet that the same kids he had helped save Sky High with could now see through his loner act. Smiling at the thought of how irritated it would make him, Layla turned to kiss Will on the cheek before heading off to class. Watching her go, both Will and Warren smiled. Glancing back at each other and catching the remaining smiles, the guys quickly changed their expressions to more serious ones and headed off to their own classes.

Ethan, Zach, Majenta and Layla found themselves back in Hero Support. While the previous year's Homecoming had gone a long way to break down some barriers, the system was too old to be changed that quickly. So the four found themselves with a new teacher, Red Radar, a woman whose superpower was incredible hearing. While a nifty gift, it wasn't found worthy of Hero status when she went to Sky High so she found herself serving as a sidekick for several years before retiring to teach.

"Hello," Ethan greeted before moving to take a seat. The dark haired teacher smiled as she began passing out a class syllabus to her new students. Sitting down, the small group of friends reached for their papers and began going through them, eager for another school year.

Will was sitting, a little less eagerly, in his class. He still regretted his seat, his "label" as Layla called it, while his friends were forced under a different, less respected "label."

"Remember Will, it's just a label. We'll see you, and we'll work with you, you know we will. So don't worry about us, you'll always be one of our greatest friends." Layla whispered that morning before they left the house to catch the bus. As the words came back to him, Will smiled. Thankful that she always seemed to know what to say, Will looked up and smiled at his teacher. A new year had begun and he was excited.


	2. The Transfers

**Title: Mother Nature's Call**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the Sky High characters, and include some of my own in this work. All but the characters in the movie are mine.

**Feedback**: Guys, I really appreciate your feedback and reviews. I'm not sure about Warren being in the same grade as the others. He's a year older, so it makes sense to me that he'd be in grade higher. I took out the reference to him being a junior though, just in case.

**Synopsis**: Sophomore year comes quickly for Will and friends. When trouble arises from student transfers, members of the small group of friends are faced with difficult choices.

**Mother Nature's Call**

**Chapter Two: The Transfers**

It was lunchtime. The halls emptied quickly as students filed into the cafeteria. One table was empty, save the dark brooding figure of Warren Peace. Ethan finished paying for his lunch and quickly spotted the dangerous figure. Smiling as he pushed his glasses up, he walked forward and took a seat. Within minutes the two were joined by the others. Only one person had yet to join the group, Layla. Warren looked around and listened to Zach and Ethan comment on Red Radar.

"She's incredible man, you can't say anything without her knowing it." Ethan said.

"I bet she's listening to us right now," Zach paused, looking uncomfortable. The very thought had made him self conscious.

"She sounds neat," Will commented.

"She's okay." Majenta said begrudgingly. "At least she's not as dorky as All American Boy." Everyone smiled.

"How was your class Will?" Ethan asked, curious as to what awaited the Hero his sophomore year.

"It was fine. I still don't understand why they have Heroes and Sidekicks. Last year's Homecoming proved how stupid that is." Warren grunted at Will's comment, but knew that some things wouldn't change. Or that if they did, they didn't do so quickly.

"Hey Red, why don't you sit with us?" Layla looked to her side and saw a smooth looking blonde at a table with other kids she didn't recognize.

"No thanks, I'm gonna sit with my friends." Layla said, her smile bright and sincere. Standing up, John Grayson blocked her way to get her attention.

"No really, come sit with us. I'm John, and that's Greg, Linda, and Tara." Greg stared at Layla, Linda looked up disinterestedly, and Tara smiled shyly. Layla smiled at them and tried to remember their names. "We just transferred here. Why don't you join us?" Layla looked at the smile plastered on John's face as her own wavered.

"Welcome to Sky High. My friends are waiting for me though." Layla said while trying to move pass the tall young man still blocking her path.

"No really, join us." John said, reaching out and placing his hand on her forearm. Linda reached out and caught Layla's tray as her hands released it. The faintness was sudden and unexpected.

Minutes earlier Warren looked up to see Layla walking towards the table. Feeling a smile coming on, he shoved the urge down deep when a frown immediately replaced it. Layla had stopped, and was now talking to some kids he'd never seen before.

"New friends of yours?" Warren asked Will, tilting his head in her direction. Turning around, Will started to smile but then stopped. Layla was no longer on her way towards their table. In fact, some blonde guy was talking to her and it looked like he was blocking her way. Watching, waiting, Will and Warren stared as Layla was introduced to some new kids. It wasn't until her hands visibly went limp that they became concerned. Within seconds both were up and moving.

"Layla? You okay?" Will asked, one hand on John's shoulder to push him out of his way. Holding onto his girlfriend, Will saw the confusion in her eyes.

"Yes, yes, I think so. I don't know, I just felt so weak all of a sudden." Layla said, confused and slightly embarassed.

"It's okay, come on. Come sit down." Will held her with one hand, grabbed her tray of food with his other, and began walking towards their table to rejoin their friends.

John's face became cloudy as he watched them. He began rubbing his arm where Will had pushed him aside, not thinking of his super strength. John turned slightly to see Warren's displeased stare.

"Hey, we were just trying to make a new friend." John said, noticing the streaks of red in the boy's hair and the dark, malevolent eyes. On the verge of making a comment Warren decided against it. There was no reason why Layla couldn't have other friends, none at all. Just because he preferred being a loner, for as much as these guys would allow him to be, didn't mean that was a path she had to choose. Deciding on a lingering, threatening glare, Warren turned around to join his friends and see how the hippie (his affectionate term for her) was doing.

"Layla, are you sure you're okay?" Will asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, really. I probably just need to eat." Layla said reassuringly. Will looked into her eyes and saw the confusion there. Her eyes were very expressive, but so was her face. She was trying to be strong, was probably embarassed and wanted the attention removed from her. Nodding his head, Will obliged her.

"Go ahead and eat, then. We were just discussing classes. The guys were telling us about Red Radar. She sounds interesting." Will said, noticing Layla's grateful smile.

"She is," Ethan piped up. "She once worked with Infrared. Can you imagine? Being able to irradicate your enemies with an Infrared heat beam? How cool is that!" Will smiled as the guys started in once again on their newest teacher. As Warren sat down, he looked up and saw the concern in his friend's eyes. Both guys felt uneasy about the whole situation. While Layla looked to be doing better, something in their guts told them the new kid was responsible for the sudden weakness she'd experienced.

"So Layla, who were those guys?" Majenta asked, bored of the subject of Red Radar. Turning her head slightly, Layla saw the kids Majenta was talking about. They were all finishing up their lunches, and looked about ready to leave.

"Oh, they're transfer students. The blonde guy is John, and the other is Greg. The brunette with them is named Linda and the strawberry blonde is Tara." Layla said, turning back quickly when John turned his head to look at her.

"I wonder where they transferred from." Majenta couldn't take her eyes off them. They seemed to be acting carefree, but something about it was off, like it was forced. It made her wonder if they knew she had asked about them and that they were now the topic of discussion.

"I don't know." Layla said, looking down at her half eaten lunch. Picking up the slightly green apple, Layla watched as it ripened into a bright red. Smiling once again, she dug into the apple with vigor.

"You don't think they're here to cause any trouble, do you?" Zach asked, looking at the group and watching Majenta's distrusting gaze. "Cuz they gotta know this group will take care of it. Right? No one's gonna mess with us after last year's Homecoming. Right?" Zach asked, unsure.

"They weren't here then. They're new. They probably don't even know about last year's Homecoming." Magenta said softly, surprised as Greg's eyes snapped to look directly at her.

"It's the first day of class guys, I'm sure no one wants trouble." Ethan said, his curiosity growing.

"Guys, come on. They are just new, let it be." Layla's words were drowned out by the ringing of the bell. Lunch was over. Standing up, Will grabbed Layla's and his trays to go take care of them. He was quickly developing a habit of consideration where his girlfriend was concerned. In this case, he just didn't want her walking by that group again.

Staring after him, Warren understood the easy manuever and the natural way Will pulled it off. He could sense his friend's concern, and understandably echoed it.

"Have a good time in class guys," Warren said, encouraging the others to head off to class as he grabbed Majenta's tray. Smiling, Zach and Ethan gratefully handed their trays to him and went off to class with the girls. Grunting, Warren preceded to dump the trash and stack the trays where they belonged. Within a few minutes Will felt Warren at his side. A few minutes later the two nodded at each other as they went their separate ways. They wouldn't see each other again until gym class.


	3. The Assignment

**Title: Mother Nature's Call**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the Sky High characters, and include some of my own in this work. All but the characters in the movie are mine.

**Feedback**: Guys, I really appreciate your feedback and reviews. I'm not sure about Warren being in the same grade as the others. He's a year older, so it makes sense to me that he'd be in grade higher. I took out the reference to him being a junior though, just in case.

**Synopsis**: Sophomore year comes quickly for Will and friends. When trouble arises from student transfers, members of the small group of friends are faced with difficult choices.

**Mother Nature's Call**

**Chapter Three: The Assignment**

"How was your first day of class kids?" Mrs. Stronghold asked as Will and Layla walked into the living room.

"Good, mom." Will answered, still hoping he could get Layla alone to talk with her some more about what happened at lunch.

"It was interesting Mrs. Stronghold. We have Red Radar this year in Hero Support, she's pretty cool." Layla said, watching a bright smile come over Mrs. Stronghold's face.

"Red Radar? That's great. Becareful what you say in that school though." Will's mom smiled as Layla said that she would. "Are you staying for dinner Layla? I'm gonna cook some stir fry tonight."

"Yeah, stay for dinner. We can catch up some more on school this way." Will looked hopefully at his girlfriend.

"Sure, that would be great." Layla's traditional bright smile graced her face, but didn't quite reach her voice. Pretending not to notice, Will smiled and grabbed her hand to pull her into one of the other rooms while his mother prepared dinner. "So... how did your classes go?" Looking over, Will pulled her down to sit on the couch next to him.

"They were okay. I'm more interested in what happened at lunch." Will said, holding Layla's hand. Sighing, Layla looked at Will and let her lips form a small smile.

"Nothing Will, really, nothing happened. I forgot to eat breakfast this morning, that's all. I felt much better after I ate lunch." Touched by his concern, Layla just wanted to move passed it. If Will worried everytime she felt ill, he'd never be able to focus on anything. As a superhero, that was deadly.

"I believe you Layla. I do, I just want to know how you met those guys." Will said, combining an innocent smile with genuine interest on his face. Laughing lightly, Layla gently sighed.

"Okay, well, John asked me to join them for lunch. I said thanks but I was going to meet my friends, and then he told me they had just transferred to the school and introduced me to his friends. They seemed okay." Layla didn't relay how pressured she felt to join them or how weak she'd suddenly felt at John's touch. None of that mattered, or at least she managed to convince herself of that.

"Oh, well, they must be a little older because none of them are in our classes." Will said, sensing there was more that Layla wasn't telling him but figuring if she'd wanted too she would have.

"Yeah, I guess, that makes sense. Anyway, new kids aside, school was interesting today. I think this will be a good year for us." Layla said, no longer dreaming about saving the world as she had the previous year. Now, instead, she was focused more on learning. Everything she'd learned as a freshman came into play when she helped save the high school. It was important for her to concentrate on her studies and learn even more.

"I think so too." Will was ready to talk about his science class when his mother walked in.

"Hey guys, dinner is ready. And Layla? Your mother called, she wants you home right after dinner." As his mom walked back out towards the kitchen, Will smiled at Layla before following after her. A sit down meal with the Stronghold's was always fun for Layla. Mr. Stronghold described his latest adventure while his wife inserted comments here and there. His enthusiasm and pride was uplifting, while his wife's serenity was beautiful. Will and Layla ooed and awed appropriately and before long dinner was over and Layla was saying goodnight.

"Come on, I'll walk you home." Will offered, wanting to spend more time with her. Grateful, Layla accepted. After reaching her house, Will pulled her to him gently to kiss her goodnight. Afterwards he watched as she walked inside, and then flew home to begin taking care of his homework.

Layla smiled as she searched the house for her mother. All in all she'd had a good first day at school, and was looking forward to telling her mom all about it. It wasn't until she reached her mom's bedroom that she found her. Lana was sitting on the floor, staring at pictures sprawled out before her.

"Hey mom," Layla said with a bright smile. Surprised, Lana looked up.

"Hey sweetie, I didn't hear you come in. How was school?" Lana asked, watching her daughter keenly. She felt more comfortable around animals sometimes than she did her own child. Still, she valued her relationship with her daughter so she worked hard to keep it strong. Lana smiled as Layla launched into a description of the day's events. The topics of conversation included Will (no surprise there), the new bus driver, and Red Radar. An interesting day indeed.

"Overall, it was pretty good." Lana smiled at the good news.

"That's great sweetie. Listen, I need to talk to you about something." Lana watched as their soft, grey tabbie waltzed into the room and laid on her lap. Smokey was there to give her support, she knew, she needed.

"Sure mom, what's up?" Layla asked as she got more comfortable on the floor. Lana began shifting a few pictures around.

"You know more than most people do, Layla. You not only know there are superheroes and supervillians, but you know how the supers are trained from a young age once they reach high school. You even attend the oldest of one of those schools." As her daughter nodded, Lana reached out and set one picture in front of her.

"What's this?" The red head asked, looking at the person in the photo questioningly.

"This is a photo of my latest assignment. His name is Fred Gray, and he's an Eco Terrorist. He's been controlling a small group of villians for a few years now, determined to destroy until their unreasonable demands are met. I was tasked with infiltrating the group, to try and learn what they plan next and put a stop to it." As Lana spoke, Layla looked at the photo closer. An uneasy feeling filled her.

"I can't remember the last time you took an assignment like this mom. It sounds dangerous," she said as she looked over her mother's grim expression. It was dangerous, Lana knew, and she had purposely taken low risk assignments since Layla's father passed away so that she could raise their daughter and give her the childhood she deserved. Even as Lana looked at her silently, Layla sighed, knowing that her mother wouldn't have accepted it if there was a better super for the job. "How long will you be gone?" Lana reached out to Layla.

"There's more to it than that, sweetheart. The damage Gray's group has done to the environment as a result of destroying chemical plants and large factories has been extensive, and there are hundreds of animals losing their homes and natural habitat. Even with the condition placed on the assignment, I couldn't say no." Lana squeezed her daughter's arm, hoping she would understand and one day forgive her.

"I understand mom. It's okay, really. You've probably told me more than you should have. I hope you don't get in trouble." The next sound the fifteen year old heard was her mother's sigh. Looking into Layla's grey eyes Lana began shifting more pictures around.

"I'm going to tell you everything you need to know, honey. When I was given this assignment, I accepted it both for myself and for you." Lana ignored the confused look on Layla's face and instead picked a picture and placed it in front of her. As soon as she saw the picture Layla knew she was in trouble. "You see, Gray already knew about me, my abilities, my history. He doesn't completely trust me, but he knows that my daughter has the power to heal much of the damage that his group has inflicted on the earth."

"Mom, these are the transfer students I met today at school. What does this mean? Exactly what is it you are trying to tell me?" Lana looked at her daughter and saw the playful child she had been before forcing herself to look further, to see the beautiful woman she would become. Worried and guilt-ridden, Lana picked up the girl's hand to feel its softness.

"They are there to recruit you, Gray doesn't quite trust me but he knows if he has my daughter's loyalty he'll have mine."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry sweetie, I really am." Lana lifted Smokey up to place him firmly on the ground before standing up herself. "There have been nights I haven't slept, cries from wounded or homeless animals have kept me awake. The devastation that man has caused can't be allowed to continue."

"I understand mom, I do. I'll help anyway I can." Layla said, a small smile coming over her face at the thought of helping the earth.

"Let them recruit you Layla, but don't be obvious about it. Once they feel you've joined them, Gray will trust me enough to fill me in on his plans. After I get that information we can stop them and then everything can go back to normal for you. I promise." Lana sunk down to the floor and playfully tugged on one of Layla's braids. "I promise."

"Sure mom, okay." Layla whispered, not expecting the promise that her mother exacted from her next.


	4. New Friends

**Title: Mother Nature's Call**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the Sky High characters, and include some of my own in this work. All but the characters in the movie are mine.

**Feedback**: Guys, I really appreciate your feedback and reviews. I'm not sure about Warren being in the same grade as the others. He's a year older, so it makes sense to me that he'd be in grade higher. I took out the reference to him being a junior though, just in case.

**Synopsis**: Sophomore year comes quickly for Will and friends. When trouble arises from student transfers, members of the small group of friends are faced with difficult choices.

**Mother Nature's Call**

**Chapter Four: New Friends**

Sitting quietly in class, Layla listened to Red Radar talk about decision making during hostage crises. Ethan volunteered ideas as the teacher asked questions. Zach and Majenta simply listened. The morning was passing quickly for everyone but Layla, who dreaded the upcoming lunchtime. The red head jumped slightly at the bell. Caught off guard, she looked at the time and realized it was time to eat. She grabbed her stuff and prepared to follow the others out.

"Come on guys, I'm starving," Zach said, encouraging the others to follow him. One by one the small group entered the cafeteria for lunch. Warren was already at his usual table, and to everyone's surprise Will was sitting next to him discussing something from science class. They were joined by Zach and Majenta, who brought their respective lunches that day.

"Hey guys," Will greeted. As they talked, Layla groaned inwardly. The student transfers were sitting at the same table as yesterday, and John was looking at her again. She hadn't yet figured out how she was going to pull this off without hurting her friends' feelings. Somehow, she had to get to know these guys, and it seemed that lunch was the time they made their move. Will glanced over and saw Layla walk passed their table to go for food. Ready with a smile, his face changed at the look on hers. Something about her was different, it looked as if she was asking for forgiveness and understanding, though why he had no idea.

This time when Layla had her food and walked by the recent transfers, she wasn't caught off guard as John talked to her.

"Hey, join us for lunch?" John asked, prepared to stand up. Looking over at the others, Layla hesitated.

"I really should be joining my friends, but..." The soft words gave John a sense of hope. He wanted her to join them voluntarily, he wanted to make it easier on her. Everything about the red head said she was a gentle soul, and that spoke to him.

"Wow, this isn't a very friendly school." Greg said, making eye contact with Layla for a few seconds. Figuring that gave her the excuse she needed, she said "Sure, I'll join you." before sitting next to John at the table. John smiled as he made room for her. Linda quietly moved further down so the new girl could fit. Glancing over the red head, Linda saw the soft grey eyes and the bright smile. The girl seemed genuinely friendly as she began asking what the others thought of Sky High so far. Breaking into the conversation easily, Linda contributed her thoughts after deciding to reserve her opinion of the girl.

"I didn't realize Layla had made new friends." Majenta said, watching as the other girl joined the group from yesterday. Will turned his head and looked, a little disconcerted. Convinced there was more going on than met the eye, Will decided to play it cool and ask his girlfriend about it later.

"There's nothing wrong with making new friends Maj. They're new, she's probably just trying to help them feel more comfortable." Will said, picking up his fruit drink. Tilting his head slightly, Warren saw the ease with which Layla started a conversation with the blonde to her right and brunette next to him. The guy sitting across from her seemed to interject comments occasionally while the strawberry blonde next to him hardly spoke at all. Will was right, Layla could meet new people and be friendly, it wasn't in her nature to be otherwise, but seeing her there reminded him of a mouse in a snake pit.

"Yeah, well, she looks fine to me." Warren stated gruffly, shrugging off any concern. Nodding, Majenta picked up the conversation about Will's science class as they finished their lunch. As the bell rang, everyone gathered their back packs and trays and got ready to leave. Will stood with his and walked in Layla's direction.

"Hey Layla," Will smiled, seeing his girlfriend jump slightly.

"Hey Will," As she stood up, she kissed him on the cheek and then grabbed her tray. "It was nice talking to you guys. Have fun in class." Reaching out, Layla placed her hand in Will's and moved off to take care of the trays. John stared after her and noticed the casual way she held Will's hand and the easy way she spoke to him.

"She didn't introduce us to her boyfriend," Linda said, curious if the girl hadn't done so intentionally.

"Who cares? We're not here for him." John shrugged. Greg grunted in agreement as Linda continued to watch the couple until they walked out of the cafeteria.


	5. Loyalties

**Title: Mother Nature's Call**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the Sky High characters, and include some of my own in this work. All but the characters in the movie are mine.

**Feedback**: Guys, I really appreciate your feedback and reviews. I'm not sure about Warren being in the same grade as the others. He's a year older, so it makes sense to me that he'd be in grade higher. I took out the reference to him being a junior though, just in case.

**Synopsis**: Sophomore year comes quickly for Will and friends. When trouble arises from student transfers, members of the small group of friends are faced with difficult choices.

**Mother Nature's Call**

**Chapter Five: Loyalties**

Will did a great job of not asking Layla why she didn't sit with them at lunch. Layla was impressed, but knew he was concerned. Before they said goodbye to head off to their respective classes, she leaned in and kissed him gently.

"Will?" Layla asked softly, knowing his full attention was on her.

"Yes?" Will responded patiently.

"Thanks for not asking about lunch, for letting me join those guys." Will was a little shocked.

"Layla, you can make new friends if you want. You don't need to worry about me, or the rest of us." Layla smiled as she placed one finger on Will's mouth to stop him.

"Thanks Will, I mean it. You guys are the greatest friends I have. You are very special to me. I need you to know that. I might be hanging out with different kids some, or doing things differently, but please know that. Please, trust me." Layla said the last on a whisper. Her mother's words vibrated throughout her mind, "Promise me, promise me you won't tell anyone of this. Not even Will. It could put a lot of people in danger, it could put me in danger, it could put you in danger. And I don't want to lose you Layla." Layla's response followed, "I don't want to lose you either mom."

"I trust you Layla. It's okay. Whatever's going on, it's okay. I trust you." Will reached out and hugged her. He had no idea what had happened since the day before, but something was up. If it was something she could tell him, she would. He had no doubts about that. So he decided he would just be there, whenever she needed him or was ready to talk, he would be there for her.

"Thanks Will. I mean it, thanks." Layla heard the last bell ring for class and pulled back to give Will another kiss. Smiling, she moved away so both of them could get to class on time. They were both a few minutes late, and preceded to be lectured from their teachers. Red Radar threatened to give Layla more homework if it happened again, while Will's science teacher did exactly that on the first offense.

"Hey guys, are you looking forward to gym class? We actually get to participate in Save the Citizen this year." Zach said, looking around the small group that came together once again for a class assignment. The other groups in the class were working diligently, while they had almost completed the assignment already.

"Yeah, I'm thrilled. I can't wait to turn into a guinea pig and run around." Majenta said sarcastically. Smiling, Zach reached over and squeezed her hand.

"She does have a point you know, there isn't much we'll be able to do against the other guys." Ethan said.

"Come on guys, you should all know better after last year's Homecoming. If it wasn't for you guys, this school wouldn't be here. Don't forget it." Layla insisted.

"Yeah, but we worked as a group." Ethan said. "And we had Will and Warren there."

"So you'll still work as a group, a group of two. It's just a matter of figuring things out, that's all." Layla smiled as the others nodded in agreement. Gym class was the next period, so once the bell rang they rushed out to get changed for it. It was the first time any of them had the opportunity to participate in the game, and the gentle hum of excitement was undeniable.

The gym bleachers filled quickly as students rushed in to grab their seats. Sidekicks were never allowed to do anything other than watch their freshman year, so the new set of sidekicks were grouped together in one section as the others awaited their chance.

"The rules have changed this year. Instead of teams of two, we'll have teams of four. It seems that some of you have proven how effective teamwork can be when its done right. So this is what we're doing. The Heroes will have three minutes to save the citizen. The Villians will have that much time to prevent the Heroes from making the rescue." Coach Boomer filled everyone in on the rules. Surprised at the change, the sidekicks cheered in response. They started feeling much more confident, now that things were more in their element.

"You, Larry!" The coach boomed, rocking back one section of the bleachers. "And you! 6 arm kid!" As both stood up and took their places, Coach Boomer looked around the room for two more kids. "You Acid Spit boy, join them. You, sidekick, yes you, who turns into a ball, get over here. What do you want to be Larry? Heroes or Villians?" Coach Boomer asked, writing the team down on his clipboard.

"Heroes!" Larry yelled, taking off his glasses and getting ready for the game. Joined by his team, the members watched as the Coach chose their opponents.

"You four, new kids. Get out there, you guys will be the Villians." Staring at the loud and obnoxious coach, Linda muttered something inaudible under her breath. John, Greg, Linda and Tara stood up and walked down to get ready. Once everyone was suited up, Coach Boomer yelled and let the three minutes start.

Larry immediately changed into the two ton rock man he enjoyed showing off. As he did that, Acid boy began spitting in Linda and Greg's direction. Completely annoyed Linda sent a mental image of the boy surrounded by flames and watched as he began freaking out. A large smile broke across her face. To her right, Greg was firing light rays in Larry's direction, blocking his path to the citizen. Linda smiled even broader as the citizen's screams for help continued.

"Now what you gonna do, new guy?" The kid with six arms had all of them wrapped tightly around John. Somewhat irritated, John rolled his eyes and lifted a finger. With the touch of that single finger, the boy holding him staggered back and let go. John turned around just as the boy fainted. Smiling, he looked over to see Tara face off with a blonde girl. The girl was the only remaining member of her team with a chance to get to the citizen. She hoped that the shy girl in front of her would pose no opposition, since the only thing she really had going for her was self defense moves she'd been taught at school.

"Finish it Tara!" John yelled, watching his younger sister hesitate. Staring at her, Layla got the distinct impression the girl didn't want to hurt anyone, but could when it became necessary. As the countdown reached one minute, the blonde girl rushed forward. In less than a second Tara's eyes went black. She lifted one palm holding a black ball of energy and launched it at the running girl. Knocked back, the blonde slid all the way down the slick floor until she crashed into the wall and passed out. Her eyes returning to their normal clear blue, Tara looked at her brother and saw the smile on his face. The countdown ended shortly after and Coach Boomer yelled at the four would be Heroes.

"Okay Grayson, what do you want to be, Heroes or Villians?" Coach Boomer asked, watching the other team leave the floor with two of them heading to the Nurses' office. John smiled.

"Villians, it seems to be working for us so far." Linda snickered at John's response.

"Pick your opponents then." The coach said, scribbling notes down on his clipboard. John looked around the bleachers until he landed on the red head. Fighting her wasn't something he wanted to do, but he needed to know if she could use her powers to do more than ripen apples. So there he stood, pointing at Layla until she gasped in surprise. Glancing over, Coach Boomer nodded. "You, flower child, get out there!"

Nervous, Layla stood up slowly and began to walk down the bleachers. Zach, Ethan and Majenta began cheering in support. Will watched to see who would be on her team, even as Warren's dark eyes followed her onto the gymnasium floor. John glanced briefly in Will's direction as he considered whether or not putting her on a team with her boyfriend would be a good idea. Deciding against it, John opted to put her on a team with some of her other friends instead. He felt it might be easier to seperate her from them than it would be her boyfriend. Turning back to where he had pointed originally, John called out Ethan, Zach and Majenta. Surprised, the three stood up and walked down to join Layla. Making his last notes the coach looked at both teams and sighed.

"Okay, flower child, your team are the Heroes. You have three minutes to save the citizen. Starting... NOW!" Coach Boomer yelled, beginning the match. Layla turned to Zach and Majenta.

"Save the citizen guys!" Layla yelled, squaring up against Greg and Tara. As the two of them began sending wave after wave towards her, Layla began dodging to avoid them. Doing as ordered, Zach and Majenta made a run for the citizen. Ethan found himself facing off against Linda, who began conjuring up a nasty mental image to direct towards him when he suddenly melted. Linda stared wide-eyed as her image failed to make contact. Sliding away from her Ethan went towards his friends more slowly than he would have liked.

As Zach and Majenta reached the citizen, John came up behind them and touched Zach on the neck. The tall bleach blonde stepped forward before fainting. Eyes wide in fear, Majenta reached out in time to pull Zach back and prevented him from falling into the grinders just beneath the citizen. John smiled. It looked to be a close call. Hearing the thump of Zach's body landing on the floor, Majenta sighed. She ended up turning just in time to see John reach for her. Panicked she changed into a guinea pig and started running away from him. John laughed out loud, greatly amused.

Running around the gym floor Layla narrowly escaped one of Tara's black balls of energy. The force of it on the floor slammed her up against the wall and plexiglass, knocking the breath from her. Will and Warren stood up, concerned. Greg began circling the red head as Tara stood in place. Layla regained her breath and began looking around. Ethan was in a melted heap trying to avoid Linda while Zach was flat on the ground passed out. She couldn't see Majenta, but figured she was on the run as well. Hearing the citizen scream for help, Layla looked around frantically. There was little she could do here, where the only plants around were those immediately outside the gym. Only a few could be seen to one side, leaving Layla praying they would be enough.

Closing her eyes, Layla blocked out the image of Greg gunning for her as she concentrated. Calling on the power within her and the plantlife outside, she compelled the trees to grow until they broke through the glass and pounded down the wall. Greg launched one focused light ray before being swallowed up by the greenery. Neither Tara nor Linda reacted quickly enough to save themselves from the same fate. John managed to dodge it, barely, and so was able to keep the remaining Hero, Majenta, from reaching the citizen in time to save her.

The buzz sounded. The countdown ended. Coach Boomer found himself looking around the gym and staring at the red head who was laying on the floor in scorched clothes. It was a tremendous show of power to call on the earth when there was so little of it here on the floating campus, and he wondered if there would be another power replacement.

"You, Popsicle, and Purple girl, get your teammates to the Nurse. Your citizen is dead." Coach Boomer said, grimacing as he once again looked around his gym. "Class dismissed!" His booming voice rocked the entire gymnasium. Students filed out slowly, stepping over roots and branches that hadn't stayed confined on the floor.

Flying over everyone to reach Layla, Will lifted her up gently. Her clothes were threaded in some places, blackened in others, and still very warm to the touch. Ethan reformed and helped Majenta lift Zach up while Warren walked over to join Will.

"How is she?" Warren asked, concerned. Will lifted Layla up into his arms.

"I think she's okay, just unconscious. I'm taking her to the Nurse. Majenta! Ethan! Over here." Will yelled, getting his friends attention.

"Go, I'll help them get Zach to the Nurse." Warren volunteered, smelling burnt cloth.

"No, its okay, it'll be faster if I take both of them." Will said as he reached for Zach, pulling him free of the two carrying him. Holding both firmly Will flew to the Nurse's office. Warren, Ethan, and Majenta watched him go before Ethan turned to look at the gym floor.

"Can you believe what Layla did? It'll take them a while to fix this." Ethan said.

"Yeah, I barely escaped a branch myself. Look, that guy is still looking for his friends." Majenta said, watching John dig through large branches to try and pull Tara free. Warren glanced over and grunted, more concerned about Layla than the group responsible for her turning the gym into a forest.

After John pulled Tara free and made sure she was okay, he began looking for the others. He found Linda fairly quickly and helped her walk over to sit next to Tara. It took a few more minutes to locate Greg, who had obviously been the main focus of the attack. _Serves him right._ John wanted to pound into Greg for his carelessness, he'd almost seriously hurt the girl. They were there to get her to go back with them willingly, not to hurt her. Finding his impetuous and competitive friend, John pulled branch after branch aside until he freed him. The boy was unconscious for a few minutes, giving John just enough time to clear his head.

"Ouch!" Greg said, rubbing his head. John glared at him as he pulled him up. Together they walked over to Tara and Linda. "Damn! Who would've guessed she had it in her?" John turned around and smacked Greg on the arm.

"My father did, you idiot! You could have seriously hurt her. What's wrong with you?" John asked, frustrated and angry. Greg felt his anger rise and turned to walk off, seething.

"Either way, it's over now." Linda said, slightly disgusted. Getting up, she went and joined her brother. Tara sighed. John turned and saw her slow smile. Of the four, his sister understood him best. He wanted a fifth member of their group, a member who could help heal the earth from the damage done after their missions. Someone who could heal the earth whereever she went, no matter what was wrong with it. Tara stood up and took John by the arm, leading him to their next class.

The Nurse looked Zach over once more and gave him a clean bill of health. The white-haired woman handed him a lollypop.

"Your cleared to go." The Nurse said as Warren walked in with Ethan and Majenta behind him.

"Thanks." Zach said. As he turned, Majenta's face lit up. "Hey!" He stood up and joined his friends. "I hear Layla kicked butt."

"Yeah, but you guys didn't do so bad yourselves. Your team work was almost enough to win." Warren said, smiling a little at the smiles that came over his friends' faces. "How is Layla?" The question was low, so that everyone had to strain to hear it.

"She'll be fine. She's resting right now. You should all get back to class." The Nurse said, walking into a different room "You too Stronghold." Kicking Will out, the Nurse saw the little group head off to their classes. She turned slightly as she heard a small groan. Layla was waking up. As the ringing in her ears stopped and the pink and purple spots cleared from her vision, Layla heard the gentle chuckle of the Nurse. "Time for one more check up, then we'll get you out of here and back to class."

A half hour later Layla joined her friends in Hero Support for the last class period of the day. They greeted her smiling, asking her how she felt and quizzing her about her power. Layla smiled at their sincere concern and excitement regarding her powers. Her own enthusiasm was dampened by the reality of the situation. The kids she was supposed to join were hardcore. She figured they weren't boy scouts, but the fact that they could and would hurt someone if they got in their way truly sunk in. Her soft lips formed a thin line, they had to be stopped. She would join them, and possibly meet their parents and The Fred Gray himself. She would help her mother put them behind bars.

"Hey Layla, anything the matter?" Ethan asked, seeing the grim set of her face. Pulled out of her thoughts, Layla turned suddenly.

"Huh? Uh, no. Sorry. Still a little dazed I guess." Layla said as she smiled. Ethan nodded his head but still looked worried. The bell rang. Kids jumped up to rush to their buses, not wanting to be left behind. Layla and her friends moved a bit slower, still full of the day's events. As they entered the hallway, Will spotted them and began walking over. He smiled as he looked Layla over. She looked good, the few black spots on her clothes the only sign left over from the earlier Save the Citizen game.

"Layla!" Will reached out and hugged her. He looked her over once again before she reached out to hug him. "I was worried." Seeing the truth of it in his eyes, Layla sighed. She didn't want to be a burden to him, or a distraction. They would need to talk, but right now she was enjoying the feel of him too much to bring it up.

"Hey," John said, walking up slowly. His friends were about a foot behind him, following his lead.

"Oh, hey," Layla said, glancing uncomfortably in Greg's direction. Will looked at the group, waiting to see what they wanted. Save the Citizen could be a rough game, and Coach Boomer was known for encouraging it sometimes. So maybe these guys just got caught up, and weren't so bad. He couldn't say for sure, but the way John was looking at Layla now made him feel like the guy was full of guilt.

"Listen, Greg didn't mean to hurt you. It was just a game." John said, glaring at Greg when the boy grumbled something.

"Oh, right. Well I'm fine. Thanks. We all are, hopefully you guys are also." Layla said, smiling hesitantly.

"Yeah, we're good. That was a neat trick you pulled off. There's not much plantlife up here on the campus, what you did was pretty impressive." Linda said.

"It was nothing. I don't like using my powers for violence, but you left me no choice." As the red head said it, John knew he'd no longer have anything to worry about. She wasn't an enemy unless they made her one. And once she knew of their plans to save the earth, the chances of her not joining them voluntarily were slim.

"Yeah, like I said, Greg's sorry." John said, sensing Tara lightly hit Greg until he muttered a half choked apology. Tempted to glare at his friend again, John opted to save it for later. "Anyway, we were wondering, that is, Tara and I were wondering if you'd join us for dinner Layla." John watched Layla's eyes go wide. Tara stepped forward hesitantly.

"Yeah, I, I was actually hoping I could get your help with something. I've been tending my mother's garden for the past few years, since she passed away. It's not growing like it should, I guess I just don't have a green thumb like she did. Anyway, I was hoping maybe you could come over and help. John cooks pretty good so it'd be a good meal at least." Tara's soft voice pulled on Layla. Even if she was scared to death of going she couldn't refuse at this point. Besides, if the garden story was true, she could help. Layla smiled gently, even as Will slightly tensed.

"Yes, I'm more than happy to help. And a good meal, well, that's just a bonus." Layla watched the smile spread across Tara's face.

"Great! I'll pick you up at 7 tonight. See ya then!" John said before turning around and walking off with his friends. As the group passed Warren to leave the school, he slowly relaxed his arm and allowed the flame sizzling there to die out. He moved forward to join the group.

"Layla?" Will asked softly. Warren watched as Layla turned and whispered softly to Will.

"Trust me?" The words were all that Will needed to hear. He nodded, kissed her on the lips and walked to catch the school bus while holding her hand. The others followed as a matter of habit while Warren stood back a little. Everyone managed to catch their respective buses, and flew towards home.


	6. Half Truths

**Title: Mother Nature's Call**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the Sky High characters, and include some of my own in this work. All but the characters in the movie are mine.

**Feedback**: Guys, I really appreciate your feedback and reviews. I'm not sure about Warren being in the same grade as the others. He's a year older, so it makes sense to me that he'd be in grade higher. I took out the reference to him being a junior though, just in case.

**Synopsis**: Sophomore year comes quickly for Will and friends. When trouble arises from student transfers, members of the small group of friends are faced with difficult choices.

**Mother Nature's Call**

**Chapter Six: Half Truths**

"Hey mom, dad, how was the rescue?" Will asked, having seen the earlier news report on the television. His parents walked into the kitchen to grab some food as their son followed.

"Well, we managed to save all the employees that were at the chemical plant. I'm afraid we couldn't stop it from blowing up though. That area is nothing but a wasteland now." Mrs. Stronghold said, a little sad.

"At least no one got hurt." Will said. Looking at his son, Mr. Stronghold grabbed a drink and sat down.

"When Eco Terrorist like Fred Gray strike son, its not just the people you have to worry about. His crimes not only destroy private property, but they leave the area completely devastated. There are hundreds of animals that no longer have homes, and the plantlife, well, it'll take years for it to grow back. If it ever does." Will's dad explained, wanting his son to understand the full effects of Gray's actions.

"That's so weird. I thought Eco Terrorists wanted to help the earth, not destroy it." Will said, trying to understand the paradox.

"The problem is they aren't able to see passed their own actions to the consequences." His mother said, walking over and squeezing his shoulder. Will smiled with affection at his mother's habit.

"How did school go today, son?" Even as Will's father asked the question he didn't know what to say. He shrugged initially, not sure what to volunteer. At his father's raised eyebrows he found a place to start.

"Okay. They changed Save the Citizens slightly so that there are four people, instead of two, on each side. It's to promote teamwork better and it seems to work well."

"Did you play today?" Will shook his head at his father's question.

"No, but my friends did. Layla, Zach, Majenta and Ethan." His mom smiled.

"Layla played? How did she do? Was she nervous at all?"

"Yeah mom, I'm sure she was. They did pretty well actually. Their teamwork was almost enough to win. You should have seen what Layla did though, she practically turned that gymnasium into a forest." Will said, all smiles now at the thought.

"That's great!" His father exclaimed, every bit as proud of his son's girlfriend as he was of his son. Will's smile remained strong as he continued to tell his parents about the game play by play. It wasn't until he reached the last part of it that it wavered. "Wow! Sounds like she was able to kick butt before they took her out. That's pretty impressive."

"Yeah, yeah dad." Looking her son over Mrs. Stronghold sensed rather than saw his worry.

"Will, sweetie," His mom walked over and sat down, taking his hand into hers. "I know you worry about Layla, that's natural. Especially right now, but you shouldn't worry." Will looked up sharply.

"What do you mean, 'especially right now'?" Will asked. His dad sent his mom a look before standing up to get another drink.

"High school, sweetie," Mrs. Stronghold stood up without looking at her son.

"High school is high school, mom." Will sighed exasperated. "I just wish I knew what was going on. Layla eats lunch with these new kids, then they call her and the others out at Save the Citizens and come close to seriously hurting her, and now she's eating dinner with two of them. It just doesn't make sense."

The Commander and Jetstream, the two greatest superheroes that the world has ever seen, looked at each other knowingly. Word had begun to spread of Lana's dessertion. They had hoped the rumor wasn't true, that the mother of their son's girlfriend and childhood best friend hadn't joined Gray's Eco Terrorist group. It was a cross between not making sense considering her powers and making sense considering her politics. It was tough, and something they had hoped wouldn't impact Layla or through her, their son.

"Layla is a sweet girl, Will. It's not like her to hold a grudge." Will's dad tried to reason out. Whatever was going on with Lana, they looked at Layla as a daughter and didn't want to think ill of her.

"Yeah dad," Will grabbed a plate of food and left for his room. His parents watched him go sympathetically.

At this time Layla found herself standing in front of a medium sized house as John unlocked the door. There was nothing particularly special about it, nothing out of the ordinary whatsoever, until Layla reached the garden in the back and froze. It was devastated. A few blooms hid here and there, but overall the garden was a wreck.

"Wow! You weren't kidding, huh, Tara." Tara flushed, turning slightly to survey the damage. She felt bad about destroying the garden an hour earlier as John had planned. It was another test, to see how Layla would be able to encourage the plantlife to grow again. If everything went according to plan tonight it will have been worth it.

"Can you help?" John asked, watching Layla expectantly. Looking over the garden once again, Layla smiled as greenery reappeared and flowers began blooming. It was beautiful. "Wow, th...thanks." Layla nodded her head and smiled.

"So, what's for dinner?" Layla asked brightly. Pulling her by the hand, John led Layla back inside towards the dining room. The plates were already set and something in the kitchen smelled delicious. John pulled the chair back for his guest, allowing her to sit comfortably. Walking over, he offered to do the same for Tara and earned a playful slap on the arm instead. Grinning, he went into the kitchen and began bringing food in. Layla watched in delight at the mushroom salad and soup placed on the table. The entree that followed was a mildly spicy Indian vegetarian dish. Once the food was set out, the three kids began eating hungrily.

"That was delicious!" Layla exclaimed. Tara smiled.

"I told you John could cook. It's one of the perks of having him as a brother." Tara said warmly. John pretended to be hurt for a few minutes before he gave up on the act and smiled in agreement. Tara and John's sibling relationship was pretty strong. Layla was an only child, but she imagined if she'd had a brother she'd be able to tease him as easily. The only one who seemed to come close was Warren, a thought that struck her as odd. Even as the strange thought entered her mind Layla smiled at the two.

"Well, I'm glad I could help you guys. Thanks for cooking dinner John, it was great." Layla said, standing up to take her dishes into the kitchen.

"Here, Tara will get those, there's something I want to show you." Tara nodded in John's direction and began clearing the table. Hesitant, Layla finally relinquished her plate and followed John into what looked like the living room. The blonde teen put a video tape in and turned on the t.v. Layla sat down on the couch to watch what he had to show her.

Pictures filled the screen of devastated forests followed by a news announcer. The woman told of a chemical spill that spread too quickly to be controlled. The plantlife surrounding the chemical facility for miles around was dead or dying. Hundreds of animals had fled the area, not all of them making it. Layla watched the broadcast in dismay. It was a recent taping, as the disaster had just occurred that afternoon.

"That's horrible," Layla whispered, her eyes focused on the screen when John suddenly stood up and paused the tape.

"Yeah, it is. It really is Layla." John sat down next to the red head and turned his warm brown eyes to her. "I envy you Layla. If I had your power, I'd be able to change all of that." She glanced again at the blurred image on the screen.

"I don't know about that John. So much damage, so large of an area. I don't think I could change all of that." The doubt in her voice was real. He knew that much.

"But would you be willing to try?" John asked, watching her soft grey eyes study the screen before slowly turning to look at him.

"Yes," Layla said. Smiling, John stood up and called Tara into the room.

"Layla, there's something I want to tell you. Tara and I are apart of a small group who cares about the earth just as you do. We do what we can to protect it from the damage people inflict on it. Tons of chemicals and trash are dumped daily, and its killing our planet." John bent down on one knee in front of Layla. "You are very special Layla, so very, very special. You are the one person on this planet with the ability to heal that damage. We can show you how to start, if you're willing to let us." John reached his hand out, and slowly, very slowly, Layla took it.


	7. Trust

**Title: Mother Nature's Call**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the Sky High characters, and include some of my own in this work. All but the characters in the movie are mine.

**Feedback**: Guys, I really appreciate your feedback and reviews. I'm not sure about Warren being in the same grade as the others. He's a year older, so it makes sense to me that he'd be in grade higher. I took out the reference to him being a junior though, just in case.

**Synopsis**: Sophomore year comes quickly for Will and friends. When trouble arises from student transfers, members of the small group of friends are faced with difficult choices.

**Mother Nature's Call**

**Chapter Seven: Trust**

Will reached for the orange juice his mother set out for him in dismay. Layla should have been there by now. Looking at the clock again, he decided to try calling her. No one answered the phone.

"Will, you're gonna miss your bus if you wait any longer." His mom told him, encouraging him out the door. The tall teenager reached for his backpack relunctantly before running out the door. He technically wasn't allowed to use his powers outside of school, and even then he wasn't supposed to use them unless it was in gym class. So he ran, and found himself panting for breath as he stood outside the closed bus door, knocking on it to gain entrance. The door opened with a groan, and he climbed on ignoring the bus driver's scowl.

As the bus dropped off its cargo, Zach and Magenta glanced at each other. Will had only nodded to them this morning, and Layla was absent. Curious but neither willing to comment, both stopped walking as Ethan asked, "So, where's Layla Will?" They picked up the pace again at his response, "I'm not sure." This time Majenta saw Ethan begin to open his mouth and nudged him to stay quiet. Looking at her questioningly, Ethan decided that maybe it was better to remain silent.

Will headed off to class while the others stopped at their lockers and talked before going to Hero Support. When they reached their classroom they smiled, Layla sitting inside already.

"Hey! We missed you on the bus this morning," Majenta said, smiling genuinely at seeing the red head.

"Oh, right. Sorry guys. I'm staying with some friends for a while so I'll be catching a different bus. I missed you guys too. How's Will?" She asked, feeling guilty for not giving him a call to let him know not to wait for her this morning.

"He's okay," Zach said, wanting to say more but stopping at the look that Majenta sent his way.

Class flew by for the four friends, all of which were ready for lunchtime when it came. After the bell rang, Layla stood up quickly.

"'Kay guys, I've got to go meet some friends for lunch. I'll see you later in class." Watching her rush out Ethan barely had time to pipe up.

"Sure," Ethan's response was energetic, a nice ploy to those who didn't know him well.

"Come on guys, we've friends of our own to meet for lunch." Zach said, grabbing his stuff and heading to the cafeteria. When they got there they saw Layla at the table with John and his friends. They were leaning in towards each other, talking excitedly about something. Their voices were too low to be able to tell what though, even as they passed by to go for food or to sit down at their usual table once they'd gotten some.

"What's up?" Warren asked, looking at the three once they joined him.

"Wish we knew." Majenta said, seeing his eyes light up in agreement. Will walked into the cafeteria a few minutes later. Seeing Warren and the others, he walked to put his stuff on the table. Even as they said hey to him he saw her, sitting there looking as pretty as ever, sitting close to John and talking rapidly about something. Will acted on impulse, unable to control the urge to confront her that came over him. He said nothing in response to his friends' greetings but left the table to walk straight to the one Layla was sitting at.

"Hey Layla, where were you this morning?" Will asked, his voice like steel. Surprised, Layla turned suddenly stopping mid-sentence.

"Oh, Will, hey. I, I'm sorry I didn't call this morning. My mom's out of town so I'm staying with friends for a while. I caught a different bus to school." Layla said, recognizing the look on Will's face. He had been worried, and now was angry.

"You could have stayed with us." Will said simply, his eyes squinting as John put his arm around Will's girlfriend.

"Nanh, she's staying with me and Tara. She's in good hands." John said, smiling. What pushed Will over the edge was how genuine the smile was, John was truly pleased.

"Oh really..." Will stepped forward. Layla stood up quickly to stop him from doing anything.

"Yes, Will. I am. Just like I am sitting here for lunch and talking with my friends. Please, leave us alone." Layla saw Will's eyes go wide, and felt her stomach twist into knots.

"Hey Will, come join us man," Zach called out, watching the scene like everyone else in the cafeteria.

"I'm not leaving without Layla," Will said, watching John and his friends stand up.

"You're not leaving with her." John said, as Warren walked over to stand behind Will and slightly to the side.

"It's Layla's choice." Warren said. He couldn't force her out of the snake pit if she didn't want to go. But he could make sure she wasn't forced to stay in it. Feeling heat emanating from his friend, Will nodded his head in thanks. He'd rather make the choice for her and take Layla away from this group he could not bring himself to understand or trust, but he knew he couldn't. As he stood there and watched her smile and sit down, he wished more than ever that he knew what was going on.

"I'm staying. But thanks guys." Layla looked at both of them with a sincere smile. Turning to Will again, Layla said, "Thanks for the trust Will." To everyone else, it sounded like Layla was disappointed in her boyfriend. To Will it served as a reminder. "Please, trust me." she had whispered, looking like her next breath would depend on his very response. He hadn't hesitated, he thought he did, and standing here now, he wondered if he'd let her down.

With his head down Will returned to the table where his friends watched in silence. Warren, looking Layla over, stood in place. Something was up, he knew it, because he knew how much the hippie loved Stronghold. She did, even now her love for him oozed out of her like fresh, sticky blood. She was hurting because he was hurting, and Warren wanted to know why anyone had to hurt at all. He continued to stand there, willing an explanation from her that never came.

She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes. So she turned back to John and started small talk, about classes and assignments and the food on her tray. Eventually Warren cooled down, and let the flame die out. He returned to the table to grab his stuff before leaving for his next class. Will skipped the actual eating part of lunchtime, opting to wait in misery until the bell rang and lunch was over.

It didn't take long for word to spread of the near fight or harsh words exchanged in the cafeteria. No one doubted that Will and Layla had officially broken up now. It was high school after all, and word spread of relationships formed and ended faster than Speed could get from one end of the school to the next, when he had still attended. Will ignored the glances people sent his way, he was regarded as quite a catch and many of the girls held a secret crush on him. Layla on the otherhand was shunned. Will was considered the wronged party in every sense, and so she was pushed and shoved in the hallways and ignored in class. She found herself grateful that the day was over.


	8. Firmly Planted

**Title: Mother Nature's Call**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the Sky High characters, and include some of my own in this work. All but the characters in the movie are mine.

**Feedback**: Guys, I really appreciate your feedback and reviews. I'm not sure about Warren being in the same grade as the others. He's a year older, so it makes sense to me that he'd be in grade higher. I took out the reference to him being a junior though, just in case.

**Synopsis**: Sophomore year comes quickly for Will and friends. When trouble arises from student transfers, members of the small group of friends are faced with difficult choices.

**Mother Nature's Call**

**Chaper Eight: Firmly Planted**

Linda and Greg sat in silence, watching the red head they had been sent to recruit enter the SUV. They saw the smiles on John and Tara's faces and wanted to puke. The siblings were only here because it was made clear that they didn't have a choice. If the girl could do what the others promised than it would be worth it. They had known of Gray's search for the perfect solution to their problem for a while now. His small group had been mostly unsuccessful in drawing attention to the threat mankind consistently presented to the planet because the attacks they carried out ended with disasterous results to the surrounding areas. For a long time it had been a Catch 22 for them, until Lana entered the equation and with her, Layla.

"So Layla, your mom doesn't mind you staying with John and Tara?" Linda asked, curious as to how much the girl actually knew.

"Well, she's out of town right now, and I'm sure she'd feel better knowing that I wasn't staying at the house by myself."

"She's out of town? Where'd she go?" Linda ignored the pointed glare that John sent her way. Layla looked down uncomfortably.

"I don't know. She didn't say where she was going." John reached out and squeezed Layla's hand gently.

"I'm sure you'll see her soon, there's no need to worry."

"Oh, I know. It's just she's all I have, but you're right of course. I'm sure she's fine."

"So are you ready to kick butt tonight?" Greg asked, bored of the sentiment filling the SUV. Layla perked up some.

"I'm very excited. If what you say of this area is true, if I can help out at all I will." Layla didn't know much about the area they were going to, or what had happened there. All she knew was what the others had told her, that the natural habitat had been destroyed and hundreds of animals were misplaced as a result. It didn't become obvious that the place they were taking her too was the area that had been on the news yesterday until later. No one told her it was the sight of a recent attack by Gray's Eco Terrorist group, but it didn't take Layla long to figure it out. The damage was too centrally focused around cement and metal debris to be otherwise. Sighing, Layla looked at the scorched ground and twisted trees around her. A small tear slid down her face.

"Is it safe to be here? Did they cleanse any remains of the chemicals that flooded this area?" Layla asked, searching the ground for any signs of greenery.

"Yeah," Linda answered after seeing Layla ignore the tear on her face, what would be considered a sign of weakness to many, to continue searching the area for any remaining plantlife. Layla searched for several minutes before she found what she'd wanted. There, half hidden by dark bark and black grass, was a tiny green blade. It was enough. Layla bent down on one knee and reached out to touch it. Feeling the life within it she smiled. Closing her eyes she focused, concentrating, calling on the power within her and the tiny life holding on despite everything. Then, slowly, she felt the life stir around her and grow until those standing and watching gasped in shock. Within minutes the entire area, for miles around, changed to the habitat it had once been.

"Wow." John whispered as Layla fell to the ground. As soon as he saw her pass out he rushed to her side, reaching out to lift her up. John carried Layla to the SUV with Tara at his side. Linda and Greg stood in place, looking around in amazement. Smiling, they both turned to join the others. It seemed that she was indeed everything they had hoped and prayed for.

Layla slept all night, not waking up until early dawn. Yawning, she opened her eyes slowly. The images filled her, the black earth, warped trees, dead flowers, consuming her vision. Slowly they were replaced by young buds growing to full bloom, trees rising far above the horizon line to reach into the sky above, and fresh green blades washed over the ground. Layla had been unconscious before she was able to see the result of her work, but somehow she knew. She felt the dead come to life, and having willed it to do so she could clearly picture the lush and beautiful surroundings that resulted. Layla slowly smiled.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Tara asked. She blushed when she saw her newest friend jump slightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I saw you waking up. We've been worried, you passed out last night."

"It's okay. I'm fine. I can picture everything. I guess it worked huh, the area is back as it was."

"And then some. It looks even better if you ask me. It's beautiful. You have quite a gift Layla." The strawberry blonde smiled.

"We all do." Layla said modestly. Sitting up she stretched and then jumped out of bed. "I'm gonna go take a shower." Tara nodded and slipped into her soft puppy dog slippers before heading to the kitchen. John was so happy to hear that Layla was doing well that he almost hugged his sister. She smiled knowingly and watched her brother resist the girly urge. To celebrate their first success, John cooked his infamous omelette with cheese grits accompanied by fruit. The three enjoyed a good breakfast that morning.


	9. Full Bloom

**Title: Mother Nature's Call**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the Sky High characters, and include some of my own in this work. All but the characters in the movie are mine.

**Feedback**: Guys, I really appreciate your feedback and reviews. I'm not sure about Warren being in the same grade as the others. He's a year older, so it makes sense to me that he'd be in grade higher. I took out the reference to him being a junior though, just in case.

**Synopsis**: Sophomore year comes quickly for Will and friends. When trouble arises from student transfers, members of the small group of friends are faced with difficult choices.

**Mother Nature's Call**

**Chapter Nine: Full Bloom**

Layla sat by herself in Hero Support, watching Zach tease Majenta affectionately. The two were quite close, and it suited them. Ethan sat to their side and paid more attention to Red Radar than he did to the two's light banter. He found everything in school interesting, and regardless of what label he was given Layla knew the teen was an asset to anyone who accepted his help. She sighed, wincing when Majenta caught her looking at them. Layla ran her eyes over the assignment in front of her to avoid the girl's questioning gaze. Once the bell rang, the students in Red Radar's class began putting their papers up to head out.

"So, Layla, how is it going?" Majenta asked, shocking the red head.

"Oh, fine, it's fine. You?" Layla wondered if she sounded as lame to the shapeshifter as she did to herself. She must have because Majenta looked like she was going to take pity on her.

"Fine. Why don't you join us at lunch?" Zach heard Majenta's offer. He was a little surprised, but he found himself hoping. He'd known Layla for a few years, and it seemed a shame to let a friendship end. He had a hard time remembering sometimes why she wasn't apart of their group anymore.

"Thanks Maj, I'd love to but I can't. John wants to discuss this thing we're doing later with friends but maybe some other time." At Layla's answer Zach suddenly remembered, and stepped forward to rub one hand down Majenta's arm.

"Come on Maj, we've things of our own to discuss, with _our_ friends." Zach sounded harsh, a little more so than he'd intended, with the girl in front of him looking a little sad. Majenta shrugged her head and turned to walk out with Ethan and Zach. Layla grabbed her stuff and followed. Every once in a while Majenta would glance at her, knowing that the girl was in over her head and wishing she could help. High school was high school though, until Layla came clean there was nothing she could do.

Greg spotted Layla enter the cafeteria and called out to her. Waving, the dark haired teen smiled at her. He was ignoring the glare that Warren sent his way, and was rather enjoying the tortured look on Will's face. As Layla sat down, Linda pushed a tray of food towards her.

"Thanks."

"Sure. So we're set for today right, after school? Timing is important." Linda said, knowing that Layla still didn't know enough about them to understand exactly how crucial the timing was.

"Yeah, I'll be ready to go as soon as we get off the bus." Everyone smiled. This afternoon Gray was attacking a major refridgerator factory and the small group of teens was responsible for getting Layla there just after the attack to heal the earth. If she could do that, Lana would communicate with the animals to let them know to return to the area and then Gray could send out his message to the global community and have it be taken seriously.

There were a lot of variables in the plan, and Gray had made sure to account for as many as possible. He assigned four people to distract the superheroes called to the scene, and watched with Lana at his side as Layla arrived with John and the others. Lana saw her daughter and kept her eyes on her, concern written on her face. Both adults watched Layla use her powers and smiled. Gray's plan was a success, and it was the first of several that quickly made the Eco Terrorist and those in his organization a threat.

This time John and Tara were prepared when Layla passed out. John stood at her side and caught her when the time came. Linda made sure anyone who came too close to the five teenagers found themselves otherwise occupied until they were able to leave the area. The next morning John made a delicious breakfast, pleased with his earlier phone conversation with his dad. Lana had been successful in calling the animals back, and the company who owned the factory they had taken out was applying pressure to the government to deal with him. Things were going very well, by the end of the week Gray had another plan in place. In two weeks time Layla was called on again, and the group of five had another success to celebrate.

John and Greg were changing for gym class when Will walked by. The tall boy had begun filling out some, with his muscles gaining definition. Spotting him, a wicked smile came across Greg's face.

"Hey John, how's everything going with you and Layla? She seems really into you." Greg said suggestively. John snickered. Will stopped. He began to turn towards the pair when a large hand grabbed his shirt by the collar and pulled him out of the locker room.

"Hey!" Will turned to see the offender and found himself glaring at Warren. Agitated, he straightened his collar and stomped towards the bleachers. It had been a while since he'd seen Stronghold angry. Warren smiled.

Coach Boomer saw the bleachers fill up with Heroes, Sidekicks, and a large number of whiner babies. He grimaced. If one more kid started in on him he was going to yell. That year's freshmen class was especially irritating. In the mood for a good old fashion game of Save the Citizens, Coach Boomer smiled.

"Okay you little runts, we're gonna have teams of two for this game of Save the Citizens. Grayson, get out there. You, light boy, you too. Let's see..." As the Coach looked around the room he saw the faces watch expectantly, until he came across Will Stronghold's grim one. Coach Boomer smiled. "Stronghold, Peace, you guys will be the Heroes. Now get ready!" Rocked back, Will looked at the coach in surprise until he saw Warren stand up. Will moved a little slower, following his best friend down the bleachers to get ready.

"Save the Citizen, NOW!" The Coach boomed. Warren looked at John as he moved towards Will. The two thought they had it covered. Will's superstrength was useless if he fainted.

"Will, I've got John." Warren yelled, forcing Will to look at him before flying towards Greg. With his combined super strength and sonic speed Will hurled into Greg and slammed the kid through the wall. Greg was unconscious, taken out in a matter of seconds. Warren watched as John ran towards him, allowing the heat to build until he was able to launch fireball after fireball at the blonde teen. Able to keep his distance, Warren glanced at Will. He was going for the citizen, it's yells barely audible above the firestorm he reigned down on John's head.

"Game over!" Coach Boomer smiled. Will set the citizen down and looked at the clock. It was a new record, and the coach knew it. "Well done, Stronghold, Peace." The two boys shook hands, grinning. Neither noticed the pissed off brunette running down the bleachers to her brother. Layla watched Tara join Linda, and looked at the guys in concern. They had their backs to them, presenting an easy target. Worried, Layla stood up and ran to the girls.

"Come on, we should get Greg to the Nurse." Layla said, her voice enough to get both Will and Warren's attention. Both guys turned and watched Layla tug on Linda's arm to get her to help her lift Greg up. John walked over to help, and the five left the gym fairly quickly. Will watched them leave as Warren's eyes narrowed.

"So, Will, anything interesting happen today?" Mrs. Stronghold asked her son as he walked in the door.

"Huh? Oh, hey mom, dad. Nothing much."

"You didn't set a new record in anything?" His father asked.

"Actually, yeah. Warren and I won Save the Citizens with 2 minutes 30 seconds left on the clock."

"We know! Boomer called!" His father said as he pulled Will in for a hug.

"We're so proud of you Will!" His mother exclaimed. Will shook his head, a little surprised he wasn't receiving a lecture for knocking Greg through a wall. The boy had turned out to be okay, but Will wondered if Layla wasn't angry with him for hurting one of her friends.

"So, how did today go for the Commander and Jetstream?" Will asked, hoping to get their attention off of the game. His parents sighed and the three walked to the living room to sit down.

"Son, we need to talk to you about something." Will looked at his father, curious.

"Okay," Will answered, seeing the looks his parents were exchanging.

"We think you should stay away from Layla for a while." Will stared at his mom.

"Are you kidding? She won't even look at me these days." Will said dejectedly. His dad squeezed his shoulder and exhaled loudly while standing up to move around the room.

"It's for the best son." He stopped walking at the look on Will's face. "Listen, we've been asked to take care of Gray and his villians. They've done more damage to private property than thought possible the last few months. The government is taking them seiously because of outside pressure. They've managed to find a way to leave the surrounding areas of their targets unharmed, both the plantlife and the animals."

"That's good right? They aren't damaging the areas anymore." Will said, dreading what his father was trying to tell him.

"We don't think that's it Will. Honey," his mom looked him in the eyes, "their attacks still do as much harm. Now they have people helping them who can restore the plantlife and let the animals know when to leave and when to return." Will went numb.

"Layla and her mother." Will's whisper was pained, causing an aggitated Commander to sit down next to him.

"Listen Will, we don't exactly know everything that's going on, but I promise you we will find out. The next time Gray strikes we'll be ready. We'll get to the truth." Will nodded slowly, unable to believe how quickly things had changed in his life.


	10. Tough Choices

**Title: Mother Nature's Call**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the Sky High characters, and include some of my own in this work. All but the characters in the movie are mine.

**Feedback**: Guys, I really appreciate your feedback and reviews. I'm not sure about Warren being in the same grade as the others. He's a year older, so it makes sense to me that he'd be in grade higher. I took out the reference to him being a junior though, just in case.

**Synopsis**: Sophomore year comes quickly for Will and friends. When trouble arises from student transfers, members of the small group of friends are faced with difficult choices.

**Mother Nature's Call**

**Chapter Ten: Tough Choices**

Layla walked to her locker and narrowly escaped the acid spit sent her way. It was a close call, one that left Layla looking around in shock. Three girls to her right laughed, even as the boy blocking her path tried again. Layla was unable to jump out of the way in time, feeling her a hole burn through the very tips of her shoes. She sighed in gratitude for having gone with the sneakers today. Though now she wondered how long they would last against further attacks.

"What's your problem?" Layla asked.

"This school is for superheroes, not for your kind." The boy crossed his arms, watching the flower child he remembered going through power placement with. After last year's Homecoming he'd considered her a Hero, despite her being in Hero Support. Now, after hearing from his parents what the girl and her mother were doing, he looked at her in disgust. "Your mother is a traitor, a villian. You aren't too far behind her. You aren't welcome here." He said as he directed acid spit towards the remainder of her sneakers. Warren reached out and pulled Layla out of the way in time.

"Why not? It's worked for me." Warren said, releasing Layla as she turned and smiled at him.

"Thanks." Layla was relieved and grateful to see Warren standing at her side. The boy in front of her frowned, and kids started standing next to him, until there was no free room to move down the hallway.

"Peace, step aside. We don't want her here." The boy said with a smirk as the kids next to him agreed. Warren looked at the kids he had spent most of his time in high school avoiding in disgust. Heat began building in his right hand until he had a full flame going.

"No." A simple word, Warren smiled. Layla looked worried, the kids were getting even more fired up.

"I tell you her mother's a traitor, and so is she." The boy spit, allowing the sizzling as each drop of acid hit the ground punctuate his words. This was how Will, Ethan, Majenta and Zach found them.

"And I'm telling you, I don't care what you say. She's not leaving." Warren said through clenched teeth. Glancing at her now, he saw the pain in her eyes. It was one that called to his own. If anyone knew what it was like to have a supervillian as a parent, he did. What he saw in her grey eyes was slightly different, a pain of a different sort.

With Warren's refusal to back down the kids became more agitated. Will looked at them and then back at Layla. He felt Majenta shift her weight behind him. The kids were getting rowdier and rowdier. Zach glanced over at Maj before looking at Ethan. He was torn. He'd heard about Layla and her mother from his parents the night before, and discovered Majenta and Ethan had found out also when he'd called to talk to them. All three of them looked at the red head now, seeing her brightly painted toes sticking our from the damaged sneakers. She hadn't been the friend they'd known the previous year since the first day of school.

Something had happened, something they'd wondered about for a while, but the night before when Majenta heard the news from her parents she thought she'd figured it out. It had to do with Layla's mom, she was sure of it. Standing here now, she watched the soft pink lips form a straight determined line on Layla's face. She wouldn't back down, and Majenta knew she'd make the stand with her. Stepping forward Majenta stood to Warren's right.

"Leave her alone." Layla looked at Majenta in surprise. Zach watched and found himself at Majenta's side, as always.

"Leave her be." Zach said, feeling Ethan move to his side.

"Yeah." Ethan spoke up, staring down the kids in front of him as best he could. As the small group stood in defiance, the boy prepared to spit again when Will joined his friends.

"You don't want to do that." Will said, watching the boy's eyes go wide. It became silent. Scared, the kid who had first spotted Layla turned around and walked off. Without a leader the rest of the group disassembled, leaving Layla standing with the greatest friends she'd ever had.

"Th, thanks guys. I, thanks." Lost for words, Layla struggled with what to say after so long. Warren closed his fist around the flame, extinguishing it. Will stepped forward, wanting to hug her but held back.

"We're here when you're ready to talk." Will said, watching as Layla smiled gratefully. She looked at Majenta, at Warren, and Zach, and Ethan, and longed for the day she could tell them everything.

"Take care of your mom, Layla." Majenta said, watching Layla's eyes go wide in surprise. It was the last thing she said before she turned to go to class. It was Maj's way, Zach knew, of letting Layla know they cared about her too. Hearing the bell ring, Layla rushed to her locker for the books she needed before going to class.


	11. One Undeniable Act

**Title: Mother Nature's Call**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the Sky High characters, and include some of my own in this work. All but the characters in the movie are mine.

**Feedback**: Guys, I really appreciate your feedback and reviews. I'm not sure about Warren being in the same grade as the others. He's a year older, so it makes sense to me that he'd be in grade higher. I took out the reference to him being a junior though, just in case.

**Synopsis**: Sophomore year comes quickly for Will and friends. When trouble arises from student transfers, members of the small group of friends are faced with difficult choices.

**Mother Nature's Call**

**Chapter Eleven: One Undeniable Act**

Fred Gray drummed his gray fingers on the chairarm. His given name was Fred Grayson, but he'd given himself the name Fred Gray once he'd begun his illegal activities. His skin was a dull, lifeless gray, explaining his choice in last name, but he remained Fred simply for a lack of imagination. Sitting here, looking out at the large, lush surroundings he smiled. He loved all of the beauty the earth provided. Lacking color himself he reveled in the dark and light greens, the rich browns and bright blues. Dawn and dusk were two of his favorite times of the day, during each he could see a range of pinks, reds or oranges in the sky. The sun was currently making its way up the horizon, the very act helping him formulate his next plan.

Things had been going well. He felt comfortable having Lana around, and knew from long talks with his son that her daughter, Layla, enjoyed the difference her powers made. The two newest members of his group were proving very useful. Other than the personal attachment his son had developed despite his warnings towards one of them, Gray felt things couldn't have gone better. The government recognized him as a formidable opponent now, and he felt sure it was on the verge of conceding to his demands. It wouldn't, he knew, while there was still hope. Hope came from the superheroes who responded to the distress calls, so Gray watched the sun continue to rise and formed his plan.

"Okay Layla, we'll see you later." John waved to the red head while he motioned for the others to hold up. "We've got new targets."

"Cool, where are we hitting next?" Greg asked, the hits they made the only thing that made dealing with being in high school worth it.

"The high school is the first." Greg's jaw dropped.

"We're gonna attack the school?" Linda asked as she shoved her brother until he regained his composure.

"The superheroes that come to save the kids are our main target." Greg and Linda smiled knowingly. Tara looked at her brother closely.

"You think we can handle that?" Tara asked.

"All we have to do is round everyone up so that the superheroes show. If we can get them within the building, dad has a plan to eliminate them." John recognized his sister's expression and sighed. "Listen, this is the last thing we have to do here. Once this is done, we can grab Layla and get out of here. There won't be any more opposition and we can force the government to enact the legislation needed to prevent companies from further harming our planet."

"When do we strike?" Greg asked smiling.

"Lunch. If we can draw enough attention to get everyone in the cafeteria, we'll strike then." John said quietly. "But first, there's someone we need to take care of." The blonde teenager led the others down the hall until they reached the faculty lounge. Looking inside, John smiled. Red Radar was in the room by herself, dialing. John walked in and grabbed her, catching her as she fainted.

"Hey, what's going on?" All American Boy said, seeing Red Radar in John's arms as he walked into the faculty lounge.

"I don't know. We saw her start to faint and walked in to help her." Tara said innocently.

"Oh, well I'll take her to the Nurse. You kids get to class." And they did.

Majenta smiled as Zach asked Principle Powers questions in their Hero Support class. It was unusual to see the Principle, and the lanky bleach blonde was having a good time asking her whatever came into his head next. Majenta smiled. Ethan tried to answer some of the questions and was rewarded with a "Hush, Principle Powers is speaking." from Zach. The fourth time Zach said this Ethan glared at him, bringing a smile to Layla's lips as well.

"Okay class, here is your assignment. Take it with you and look it over before the next class period." Principle Powers passed out the papers seconds before the bell rang. The kids filed out for lunch, bringing a smile to her face. _Blessed relief._ Once the last kid was out the door she turned and left to see the Nurse. She had two goals, to check on Red Radar and to get some ibuprophen.

"Okay guys, you know what to do?" John asked, ignoring the sarcastic expression on Greg's face and the exaggerated "Nnooo." Instead he simply rolled his eyes and motioned to get started. Greg stepped forward to trip the kid carrying his tray towards his regular table. Ethan sprawled forward, landing face down in his food.

"Oh, I'm SO sorry." Greg said, watching as the shorter boy slowly stood up.

"Hey, you did that on purpose." Zach said, standing up.

"No I didn't," Greg responded.

"I'm, I'm okay." Ethan volunteered as he gently rubbed his nose, it was a little sore from the impact.

"Yes you did, I saw you." Zach walked over to help Ethan pick up his tray and walk him back to their table.

"Are you calling me liar?" Greg asked, getting angry. John had chosen wisely, it didn't take much to get Greg upset.

"That's not too difficult considering you are one." Zach watched his friends take a lot of crap, as he did himself, just because they'd been made Sidekicks. He wouldn't stand by and let someone pick on Ethan for their own amusement. Greg was angry now, looking at the Glowkid like he was scum for even daring to speak to him. Without thinking Greg fired a light ray at Zach. _I'll make him glow alright._ Zach dodged and felt the side of the table as it rose and turned in response to the light ray that hit it. Everyone watching broke out into a loud, steady chant "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

John smiled as Greg continued the assault, looking at the other kids to see who would join in the fight. Zach began picking up trays and tossing them, food and all, at the dark haired manace. Majenta pulled Ethan out of range of the attacks and Warren stood up, ready to end what John's impetuous friend had started. Hearing the chant in the hallway, students began pouring into the cafeteria out of curiosity. As luck would have it, All American Boy began following the crowd, saying "What's going on?" Seeing Warren's fireballs begin competeing with Greg's light rays he turned on his heels, running in search of help. The teachers he encountered on the way to find the Principle ran into the cafeteria. John smiled as almost all of the teachers in the school were accounted for. _The last one he needed was... ah, yes, Principle Powers._ Once he spotted her he put the rest of his plan in action.

"Linda!" John yelled. The brunette nodded and formulated an image. The next sight All American Boy saw was everyone in the cafeteria sitting on the floor, tied up. He looked for Principle Powers and saw her lying unconscious in the corner with the other faculty members. He did what he did best, he panicked. Running out of the lunchroom, he ran to the office and called for help. Word spread of trouble at the high school campus like wildfire. John had silently begun weaving in and out of the faculty members, starting with the Principle, touching each one on the arm long enough so that they'd be unconscious for a while. John grinned as the first superheroes arrived. Tara launched black balls of energy at them before they knew what hit them. Stunned, Warren stopped attacking Greg to see the first three fall. It was all the time Greg needed. His next attack knocked Warren unconscious.

Will was one of the last students to enter the lunchroom. Seeing Warren go down, he launched forward to take Greg out. Within a foot of the boy Will stopped, almost careening into Layla. Linda smiled as Greg had the time he needed to knock Will out. She moved next to her brother and worked with him to elminate the threat other students posed.

Layla slowly woke up several minutes later. She had been on her way to the cafeteria when she ran into John. Now she found herself sitting in a chair in class, wondering what had happened. Seeing the time, she looked around and began wondering where everyone was. Hearing a high pitched sound, Layla turned in time to see Jetstream and the Commander break through the wall.

"What?" Layla gasped in shock. Standing up, she ran to meet the two. "What's going on Commander? Jetstream? What are you guys doing here?" Layla asked, looking at the hole in the wall again. "And why didn't you use the door?" Jetstream looked at Layla briefly before glancing around the room.

"Where are the other students Layla?" Jetstream asked, biting her tongue to not ask specifically about Will.

"I don't know. I think I fainted earlier, or something. I just woke up. It's still lunchtime, everyone might be in the cafeteria." The Commander wasn't smiling, and Jetstream looked suspicious. Layla looked around again and suddenly became worried. "I'm going to go check." She ran out of the classroom before either of the superheroes could stop her.

Rushing into the cafeteria, Layla's mouth open in disbelief as she watched John and his friends gloat over their latest victory. Principle Powers, almost all of the teachers and faculty members, along with several superheroes were unconscious. To her right she saw her friends huddled together for protection, as Warren and Will laid unconscious and slightly singed. A second later another superheroe entered the cafeteria. Linda put the image in the woman's mind that John was asking for help. As she came closer to John, he reached out and touched her. She fainted and was placed with the other adults.

"What are you doing!" Layla asked, angry. John looked over in surprise.

"Layla," John said before being cut off.

"Taking care of the last remaining threat to our planet sweet child. With the superheroes out of the way, the government will have no choice but to give in to our demands. Once they do, the others will follow." Fred Gray walked into the room with several villians behind him. To his side Lana stood in handstitched leather clothing, with the large panther Layla knew as Blackwidow next to her.

"Mom?" Layla asked, watching Lana's face tighten up.

"It's the only way, you've got to trust me about this." Lana said, seeing Layla nod. Layla knew her mom, many of the unconscious superheroes in this room were her friends. She wouldn't allow them to be harmed, Layla just knew she wouldn't. At that moment the Commander and Jetstream flew into the cafeteria, too fast to see the eight villians waiting for them and too slow to escape the energy netting one of them placed over them. The two were trapped, as of yet still conscious, and were forced to sit in dismay and watch everything unfold. Fred Gray laughed, walking down the floor to look at everyone before walking back to where Lana stood.

"You see, dear Layla, we can destroy all the chemical plants and large factories we want. We can even have you and your mother protect the animals and regrow the destroyed plantlife. But none of it means anything if people don't take our demands seriously. And as long as any of these superheroes are around to rescue people and fight us, they won't. In this one undeniable act of death and destruction, we can save the earth." The middle-aged gray man took a step towards Layla. "You see that, don't you? You see that you and your mother have made the right choice?" Majenta pointed to Will and Warren. Zach and Ethan looked at the two boys and saw what she had, they were regaining consciousness. They both slowly lifted their heads in time to see Gray step towards Layla and hear his last questions.

"Yes, mom and I have definately made the right choice." Layla said, smiling brilliantly. Will looked at the girl he'd known since first grade and recognized the expression on her face. She was ticked, and up to something. The next moment she closed her eyes and called on the plantlife outside.

"Blackwidow!" Lana screamed, watching the large panther launch towards Gray. John turned to see his father being mauled by the animal and ran towards the woman responsible. As the villians closest to Lana attacked, she dodged and rolled on the ground until she sat up closer to the small group of Sidekicks. Ethan ran towards her, blocking the path for the villian who was closest. Scared, he melted. His timing was perfect, the guy slipped and hit his head on the ground, hard.

The Commander tried to tear apart the energy netting as Layla sent branches crashing through the glass windows and into the cafeteria. Trees grew and branches extended, reaching out to wrap around the villians and lift them off the ground upside down. Unable to make it to Lana, John turned to see Greg and Linda move for Layla. Warren sent a fireball towards Linda and watched as the girl screamed. Rolling on the ground to try and extinguish the fire, Linda passed out from the heat. Tara ran forward and finished putting the fire out.

Will rose off the ground and flew straight at Greg. He punched him, knocking the boy through another wall. Greg stayed on the ground, unconscious. Feeling betrayed, John ran towards his sister and pointed to Layla. Tara turned soft eyes on her brother, asking silently if he was sure that's what he wanted.

"Just do it Tara!" John yelled. Layla heard John and turned in time to look at Tara face to face. She looked sad, and torn. The red head's heart went out to her. If asked to harm the other girl, Layla didn't know if she'd be able to do so. Tara's hesitation gave Layla the time she needed to ensure it didn't come to that, branches reached out to wrap around Tara and constrain her. They tied her hands tightly behind her back, so that she was unable to focus her powers. John started spitting in disgust at the sight of Tara raised of the ground with arms held tightly behind her back, made helpless. The Commander broke through the energy netting in time to pull Layla down out of John's way. The boy slid to a stop, turning around in time to come into contact with Zach's fist.


	12. Heroes Once Again

**Title: Mother Nature's Call**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the Sky High characters, and include some of my own in this work. All but the characters in the movie are mine.

**Feedback**: Guys, I really appreciate your feedback and reviews. I'm not sure about Warren being in the same grade as the others. He's a year older, so it makes sense to me that he'd be in grade higher. I took out the reference to him being a junior though, just in case.

**Synopsis**: Sophomore year comes quickly for Will and friends. When trouble arises from student transfers, members of the small group of friends are faced with difficult choices.

**Mother Nature's Call**

**Chapter Twelve: Heroes Once Again**

Majenta ran to hug Zach as Lana ran towards Layla. As the mother and daughter reunited, they held each other tight. Lana looked around the cafeteria before bending on one knee in front of Layla.

"Layla sweetie, I'm so proud of you. I'm so sorry I put you in the middle of this." Lana said, hugging her girl once again.

"It's not how I imagined working with you on an assignment to save the world mom, but it's okay. I'm just happy its over." Layla smiled. She surveyed the lunchroom. The Commander and Jetstream were glancing at them as they moved to take care of Gray and his men. Lana knew what the two superheroes thought of her. Her cover had been extremely effective. Only her boss knew of her assignment. To everyone else, her betrayal was real. She walked over towards Blackwidow and called the panther off of Gray to assist the two. While the Commander tied the supervillian up, she explained.

"I'm sorry for the deception, Commander, Jetstream. My assignment was clear, I had to help bring Gray down and enlist my daughter's assistence." Lana flinched from the look Jetstream gave her.

"You used your own child. I could never do that." Will heard his mother's harsh comment and walked towards her. Some of the superheroes began waking up, and as they did so they helped take Gray and his buddies out of the school towards a nice cozy jail cell.

"What about the Stronghold three, mom?" Will asked, watching his mother's eyes pop slightly in surprise.

"Well..." As much as she wanted to say it was different, Jetstream couldn't force the words from her mouth. Instead she looked at Lana and saw the loving arm she had wrapped around Layla. It must have been a tough assignment for her. Jetstream decided to listen to heart on this one.

"I'm sorry Lana, I know it couldn't have been easy." Layla's mother smiled gratefully and began helping the others in the cafeteria, adults and kids alike. The Commander just smiled gratefully and joined her, along with Jetstream. Layla turned in time to be engulfed in a hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Will said, looking her over carefully. Grinning, Layla found herself doing the same for Will, and Warren, and Ethan. She congratulated Zach for his excellent punch, hugged Warren for his fantastic aim, and kissed Will for the strength of his trust. The group of friends sat on the floor together and laughed at their great victory.

"Okay Layla, you have to tell us everything!" Majenta said, genuinely pleased that things were getting back to normal. She filled them in on all the details, leaving nothing out, and smiled at the strength of their friendship. Finishing her story, the red head looked around the group, hearing Principle Powers giving orders to faculty and students alike in the background.

"Guys, you are the greatest friends a girl could have." Layla said, squeezing Will's hand gratefully.

"Come on Heroes, school isn't over." Principle Powers said to the group of close friends. They each stood up, slowly, reluctant to separate and go to their different classes. Layla smiled and finally took the lead, searching the room for her backpack before heading out. "Hold up there, kids. You all have new assignments." Principle Powers smiled as she handed slips of paper to Layla, Zach, Ethan and Majenta. Each of them looked down and grinned. The slip of paper had a new class schedule, and at the top read "Hero."

The End


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